life
JOHN HANNAM
Griff Warns
He's Up
For The
Challenge
By John Hannam
Photo p44: David batting at The Rose Bowl for
Hampshire in the County Championship (2007)
Photo p45: David pictured bowling
for Henley (2007)
D
ue to the new Indian Premier
Cricket League, the restriction
of overseas players in our
professional game and an unexpected
retirement, Sandown’s 22 year David
Griffiths could become our most
successful cricketer of all time. He’s
just returned from a two month spell in
Australia and is raring to go in what will
be his very first season as a major squad
player for Hampshire, one of England’s
finest teams.
Last season David played six times for
the County’s first eleven and came up
against a few of his boyhood heroes.
Probably his greatest moment was bowling
to Graham Hick and then seeing Chris
Benham hold on to a catch, proving
dreams can come true. His hero had
scored just four. A few minutes earlier the
scorebook had read Solanki c Warne b
Griffiths 22. An England double for young
Griff.
In the 144 year history of the Hampshire
County Cricket Club only seven
Island-born players have represented the
club in the County Championship. The
last of these being Ryde’s Bill Scott, back
in the summer of 1927.
David Griffiths follows a great family
dynasty of top sportsmen. His father,
Adrian, played locally for Shanklin
44
before moving to Wales and eventually
captaining the country in the Minor
Counties Championship. He was a
formidable all-rounder with searing pace
and a good eye for bludgeoning runs.
Jonathan Griffiths, David’s uncle, created
local sporting history. He began rugby
with the Sandown Hurricanes and ended
up playing both rugby and rugby league
for Wales. He also represented Great
Britain, whilst at St Helens RLFC.
Closer to home, two of David’s
grandfathers were also legends on the
local Island cricket scene. Ron Griffiths
played for Shanklin and the Isle of Wight
and Roley Ringer was one of the founders
of Arreton Cricket Club and is still active
in the administration of our local game
and the principal cheerleader when David
plays first team cricket for Hampshire.
The youngster’s stepfather, David Porter,
was also a brilliant cricketer for both
Shanklin and the Island.
David joined the family at Shanklin
Cricket Club when he was five and
was soon learning the game in the club
practice nets. He became one of the
youngest players at the club and achieved
notable local success before joining the
Hampshire Academy, at the age of 14.
Soon he was gaining invaluable experience
in the Southern League Gold Division,
which is a higher standard than any Island
team plays in.
Under the watchful eye of some
experienced players, David Griffiths
became a force in the Hampshire second
eleven and last season, before his first
team call up, had taken over 40 wickets
with his fast-medium bowling. He was
hoping to break the club record for
a season but was summoned into the
first team squad which was much more
satisfying.
“I was due to play for the second team
when I was suddenly asked to join the first
team squad for a game against Durham.
I travelled up and expected to be twelfth
man but with West Indian test player
Darren Powell still awaiting his work
permit, I was put into the team in his
place.”
In this match, at the ground also used by
England, he took six wickets in the match,
including a very commendable 4-46 in the
first innings
Other key matches followed and he
played at Old Trafford against Lancashire
and was suddenly facing world famous
stars like Muttiah Muralitharan, Stuart
Law, Dominic Cork and Sajid Mahmood.
Other games followed against Sussex and
Worcestershire in which he did well. When
faced with England’s leading run machine,
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